


Snow Princess

by Desdasi



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Art, Fairy Tale Retellings, Family Fluff, Gen, Russian fairy tale, Snow, Winter, snegurochka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26724106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desdasi/pseuds/Desdasi
Summary: Once Upon a time there lived a prince and a sorcerer in a land called Camelot. They were happy as can be, if not for one thing. They couldn't have any children of their own.
Relationships: Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Snow Princess

**Author's Note:**

> So recently Iv'e been thinking of this fairy tale my mom used to read around christmas. She and dad read a lot to us kids as we grew up. This story was in a book with christmas-y stories and was about an old couple who had no children. 
> 
> I know it is based on Snegurochka, the Russian snow maiden but I've yet to find the old book... This is my take on it in a Merlin AU
> 
> Enjoy!

Long ago, in a land called Camelot there lived a prince and his sorcerer. Their names were Arthur and Merlin. They were as happy as can be when one had to fight evil sorcerers, magical beasts and invading forces on a regular basis. They had begun as master and servant after Merlin had saved Arthus' life but with time and dangerous adventures they had grown close. First as friends and then as lovers. By that time Merlin had revealed his magic to Arthur and the prince had accepted him. “You're still the same man I know,” he had said and embraced his friend. 

Most of their friends knew of Merlin's magic, some had known before Arthur or figured it out by themselves. But one who could absolutely not know was Arthur's father. King Uther Pendragon. The king was distrusting of everything magic as his wife had died because that the couple had asked a sorceress to help them in hopes to have a child. The king and his wife could not bears another miscarriage and so they had turned to a sorceress who was part of Uthers court. Her name was Nimueh and while she had managed to safely deliver the child she hadn't been able to save the queen. 

Uther had raged but eventually been calmed down enough to realise that this was the price of the magic Nimueh had performed to save the child. After finding that the sorceress didn't know the cost of the spell she had used, he had sent her away from Camelot. He had made the laws about using magic stricter and fired those in the castle who had magic. 

It was a miracle enough that the king allowed his son to have a relationship with his manservant and they didn't want to push it. Then it might be Merlin who had to pack his bag. (not that he would actually leave, Merlin had a plan for a disguise if that day ever came!)

Lately however it seemed that something was missing in their lives. Sometimes Arthur would play with the children of some village he and his knights were passing through on patrol, and then a farmer would walk past and one of the children would shout ”Father!” and run to the man to be picked up and Arthur would watch as the father picked up and spun his child in the air and he would feel a pang of longing. 

He wasn't the only one. Merlin could be doing his chores in the castle and be distracted by finding a wayward sock in the prince’s laundry. _It was just that they were so tiny!_ It didn't help that their friends Lancelot and Gwen were due to be married in spring and all the knights were talking of which one of them would be the best uncle, although only Elyan could claim any blood ties as he was Gwen's brother. 

It seemed that Camelo was full of children! And both Arthur and Merlin knew that they could not have one. Both by their biology but also as taking in an orphaned child was only allowed for married couples and there was no way that Uther would give them his blessing. Eloping wasn't an option. Uther was the king and could annul a marriage with a wave of his hand. 

One day in the beginning of winter Arthur was standing by his window as Merlin was seated by the prince's desk and finishing off a speech he was helping Arthur with. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining on the freshly fallen snow and children of all ages were out in the courtyard. Some were having a snowball fight beneath the eyes of watchful mothers.

“Look how fun the children are having!. Let's go out and join them. Maybe we can build a snowman too!”

Merlin looked up from his parchment and smiled at the giddy prince. Arthur had missed out on a lot of things as a child because his father had said it was unbecoming of a prince. Because of that Merlin was always happy to introduce Arthur to new joys. It could be jumping in the hay as they had done when they visited his mother in Ealdor or playing in the snow. So he put back the stopper in the inkwell and stood. “That sounds good. But let's change into some warmer clothes first.”

Arther stepped away from the window. “You motherhen me Merlin”, he said with a fond smile.

After getting dressed in warm coats and sturdy boots they went down to the courtyard. It seemed like some of their friends had joined in on the play. Gwen had come up with the idea of making a small competition of who could make the best snowman. The winner would get an extra large serving of raspberry pie she promised with a wink. The children were already deeply focused on their work and Arthur turned to Merlin. “We must win this!” Merlin rolled his eyes. The prince had a competitive streak as big as the castle and a sweet tooth to boot. _Never mind that he was the prince and could ask the kitchens for as many pies as he could eat._

Arthur pulled Merlin along to an untouched part of the courtyard. “We need to come up with something original. How about a dragon!”

“I'm not using my ‘skill set’ for this. Think smaller.” Surveying the competition, Merlin got an idea. “Let's make a snow child. A little girl perhaps.”

“A little princess you mean. I like it.”

With a large snowball Arthur shaped a body with tiny little hands and feet. Merlin made the head. He used two blue buttons that he found in his pocket for eyes and a piece or red yarn for a mouth. Carefully he put the head on the shoulders of the little figure and then they stepped back to admire their work. 

It was just snow but she looked so lifelike and never before had they wished more for a child to call their own. Oh, how they wished for it. In the same moment the girl's cheeks began to color and then she shook her body so that the snow fell from her clothes. At first Arthur and Merlin believed that they were dreaming but it was a real living girl that stood before them. A girl with dark blue eyes and golden blonde hair, standing in the spot that the snow child had stood seconds ago. 

Eventually Arthur got back his words. “Where did you come from?” he asked the girl. “Who are you? What are you?”

“I come from the land of the snow and frost”, the girl said. “I'm your daughter, because you wished for me to be here.”

Arthur looked at Merlin whose eyes shone golden for a moment . Then the sorcerer fell to his knees and embraced the girl. “It's true, she is real.”

Arthur took both of them in his arms and soon they shared the happy news with their friends. The children wanted to take a look at the mysterious girl and she curiously looked back at them from behind Arthur's legs. “Go and play with them”, he encouraged her. The girl nodded and joined the children . Arthur turned to Merlin and their friends. “I don't know how she came to be, but she _is_ ours and I won't let anyone take her.” he stated. “But what will the king say?” Percival asked them.

Merlin took the prince's hand. “We’ll convince him to let her stay.”

And so they did. Apparently not even the king could resist the charm their little girl had. She had stepped into the hall where the king held council and promptly introduced herself by calling out to him by the name “Grandpa!”

The king and his counselors had looked shocked and confused as the girl happily began telling her ‘grandpa’ of the games she had played in the snow. 

Using the silence Arthur had begun telling of how he girl clearly had no one else and how cruel it would be to turn her way. 

“... it is cold and she is small and bandits and…”

“Arthur! Calm yousef son. i'm not going to throw a child out to fend for herself”, the king interrupted. “Get her some food and v´we'll talk about where she will stay.”

The girl happily accepted the warm meal but was adamant that she had to stay with Arthur and Merlin. “They are my papa and father”, she insisted. 

In the end she was given a room in Arthurs chambers that he was unofficially sharing with Merlin. As they prepared the girls room they found out that she didn't have a name. She said that she would be happy with whatever her fathers choose for her. To Merlin and Arthur it was a big deal though. It was their daughters name! Together they decided to call her Eira.

And that is the story of how the prince and the sorcerer got their daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot! I chose the name Eira that means 'snowing Welsh

**Author's Note:**

> The art is by Karin Mamma Andersson


End file.
